Players competing at the Australian Open this year will not need to disclose positive COVID-19 results and will be able to continue participating if they feel well enough, according to Tennis Australia.
Chief executive of Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley, said on Monday that there would be no mandatory COVID-19 testing requirements for tennis players, but recommended those who feel unwell stay at home. The rule is similar to conditions in place during the cricket this year.
The Australian Open will likely look very different from last year as the nation learns to live with COVID-19.Credit:Eddie Jim
“We’ve made it clear to our players, as well as our over 12,000 staff. We ask … if anyone is feeling unwell, stay home,” Tiley said. “It’s a normalised environment for us and, not dissimilar to the cricket, there will potentially be players that will compete with COVID.”
Tiley said it would be up to the player to reveal a positive COVID-19 test result to the organising body.
“We just wanted to follow what’s currently in the community,” he said. “We have gone a step further by making a recommendation around staying away when you’re ill, and that our medical staff – Dr Karen Holzer is the best in the business – she will continue to monitor that, with the players individually as well.”
Australian tennis pro Alex de Minaur said he and other players were excited to be able to compete in Melbourne with greater freedom.
“I think we, as players and as human beings, we’ve kind of gone through a very tough situation throughout a couple years,” de Minaur said. “I think we’re all excited to be back competing, moving around freely, enjoying life as it used to be. We’re just happy to be back where it was pre-COVID.”
Some 900,000 people are expected to attend this year’s tournament, according to acting minister for tourism, sport and major events, Anthony Carbines, making it the biggest event in the world across January. Spectators, including international travellers, are flocking to Melbourne Park to watch the tennis under no COVID-19 capacity restrictions.
“Australians know what their obligations are, and we’re out there now seeing as much normality as you like,” Carbines said. “We’ve seen that through the cricket Test, we’ve seen that through the New Years’s celebrations … The Australian Open is another opportunity for us to put our best foot forward in 2023.”
Although Victorians have not been required to isolate after contracting COVID-19 since October, the state government strongly recommends positive cases self-isolate for at least five days and until they no longer present symptoms. It is also strongly recommended that close contacts continue testing on rapid antigen tests (RATs) and monitor for symptoms for at least seven days.
COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination controversy pervaded the tennis tournament last year. The federal government decided to deport Serbian champion Novak Djokovic due to his stance on vaccination, fearing the tennis ace would spur anti-vaccination sentiment.
The former world No. 1’s vaccination stance remains unchanged, but he has been permitted to return to Australia to compete for a 10th Australian Open title this month. Meanwhile, other countries like the US have extended their travel ban on unvaccinated non-citizens until at least April 10.
Tiley said he was “pretty confident” the fans in Melbourne would be able to appreciate good tennis, regardless of the controversy surrounding last year.
As Australia settles into “living with COVID-19”, different sporting bodies are having to consider what this means for the handling of professional athletes competing on the world stage when they come down with the virus.
The world’s governing body of cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC), deemed cricketer Matt Renshaw suitable to play after he became the first positive case in Australia’s Test group this season. Renshaw played on day two against South Africa in Sydney, the only difference being that he used a separate change-room to his teammates and kept his distance during the national anthem.
With Marnie Vinall
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